Mikaela Shiffrin won’t team up with Lindsey Vonn in skiing dream team at Alpine worlds
Mikaela Shiffrin won’t team up with Lindsey Vonn in skiing dream team at Alpine worlds
United States’ Mikaela Shiffrin ahead of a women’s World Cup slalom, in Courchevel, France, Thursday Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
United States’ Lindsey Vonn gets ready to start an alpine ski, women’s World Championship downhill training, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
United States’ Lindsey Vonn speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women’s World Championship downhill training, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)
United States’ Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during the first run of a women’s World Cup slalom, in Courchevel, France, Thursday Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
FILE -Mikaela Shiffrin, of the United States, crashes during the second run of a women’s World Cup giant slalom skiing race, Nov. 30, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
United States’ Lindsey Vonn gets ready to start an alpine ski, women’s World Championship downhill training, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
United States’ Lindsey Vonn ahead of an alpine ski, women’s World Championship downhill training, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
United States’ Mikaela Shiffrin ahead of a women’s World Cup slalom, in Courchevel, France, Thursday Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
United States’ Mikaela Shiffrin ahead of a women’s World Cup slalom, in Courchevel, France, Thursday Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
United States’ Lindsey Vonn gets ready to start an alpine ski, women’s World Championship downhill training, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
United States’ Lindsey Vonn gets ready to start an alpine ski, women’s World Championship downhill training, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
United States’ Lindsey Vonn speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women’s World Championship downhill training, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)
United States’ Lindsey Vonn speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women’s World Championship downhill training, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)
United States’ Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during the first run of a women’s World Cup slalom, in Courchevel, France, Thursday Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
United States’ Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during the first run of a women’s World Cup slalom, in Courchevel, France, Thursday Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
FILE -Mikaela Shiffrin, of the United States, crashes during the second run of a women’s World Cup giant slalom skiing race, Nov. 30, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
FILE -Mikaela Shiffrin, of the United States, crashes during the second run of a women’s World Cup giant slalom skiing race, Nov. 30, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
United States’ Lindsey Vonn gets ready to start an alpine ski, women’s World Championship downhill training, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
United States’ Lindsey Vonn gets ready to start an alpine ski, women’s World Championship downhill training, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
United States’ Lindsey Vonn ahead of an alpine ski, women’s World Championship downhill training, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
United States’ Lindsey Vonn ahead of an alpine ski, women’s World Championship downhill training, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin is not going to pair with Lindsey Vonn in a dream team at the Alpine skiing world championships.
Shiffrin announced that she needs more time for training as she regains her form from a deep puncture wound and won’t be entering the new team combined event at worlds.
Vonn, who returned to the circuit this season at age 40 after nearly six years of retirement, had been campaigning for a spot alongside Shiffrin in the event, which involves one squad member racing downhill and another racing slalom. The times of the two athletes on each team are added together to determine the results.
While Shiffrin returned last week and placed 10th in a slalom in Courchevel, France, after nearly two months out following a crash in Killington, Vermont, she said she’s “continuing to take it one step at a time as I work to get back to 100%” and that “each day so far has come with a new set of challenges.”
“With that said, I need to keep my energy focused on preparing for the giant slalom and slalom races during world championships, and will not be able to participate in the team combined,” Shiffrin said on her social media accounts.
The women’s team combined event is scheduled for next Tuesday — two days before the women’s giant slalom and four days before the women’s slalom.
Shiffrin and Vonn are the winningest female racers in World Cup history with 99 victories for Shiffrin and 82 for Vonn. Vonn is the all-time leader in World Cup downhill victories with 43 and Shiffrin holds the mark in slalom with 62 — both records among men and women.
“I think it would be probably one of the coolest things in ski racing to have 181 World Cup victories on one team,” Vonn said Monday, before Shiffrin’s announcement. “I don’t see how that wouldn’t be incredible. I don’t know how she is physically, I haven’t talked to her because she just came back. So I don’t know if she’s even competing in the combined. But if there is a chance to compete with her, I would absolutely love to.”
Vonn could now pair with Paula Moltzan instead. Both Vonn and Moltzan grew up skiing at Buck Hill in Minnesota and Vonn was Moltzan’s hero.
“We’re from the same small town,” Vonn said. “That would be really cool to race with her. But I would be happy with any of my teammates to compete with.”
Vonn and Shiffrin could still team up in combined at next year’s Milan-Cortina Olympics. Thursday marks exactly one year before the Feb. 6, 2026 opening ceremony.
Vonn told The Associated Press in a recent interview that the main goal of her return is to race in Cortina at the 2026 Games and that then she will retire again.
Vonn will race in the super-G and downhill at worlds on Thursday and Saturday.
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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing